Judgment of Lace and Steel
by Measured
Summary: Maribelle and Lissa were just trying to have a day out, but when they are attacked by brigands, Maribelle steps in with a strength neither of them knew she possessed. Maribelle/Lissa.


Title: Judgment of Lace and Steel  
Series: Fire Emblem: Awakening  
Character/pairing: Maribelle/Lissa  
Rating: PG-13  
Author's note: Cottoncandy_bingo: "I need you."  
There was some really cute fanart of Maribelle and Lissa with a parasol floating away. I made a joke about "Actual Action Hero Maribelle." This assumes Maribelle is a war cleric and that Lissa is a sage.

**.**

After a week's worth of rain, the day had risen bright and crisp They set out into the forest outside the towns, birdsong and fresh air and sunshine all about them. Lissa had a spring in her step, even more than usual. Maribelle had confiscated the picnic basket after Lissa swung it a little too much once too often.

"Ahh, I'm so glad to hear the birds again. I was beginning to feel like we'd all float away with all that rain! But the sun feels so nice on my face..." Lissa jumped up, as if she'd find a way closer to that warmth.

"It's been most stuffy in that fort. I swear, darling, your room needs to be aired. It smells horribly moldy, and that's no place for someone like you to be."

"Oh, I barely notice it. Just put some fresh flowers in and you can barely even notice it," Lissa said.

"That isn't the point—you _deserve _ better and I won't stand for you sleeping in a decrepit room which isn't even fit to house _pigs _ in!"

"Oh, Maribelle," Lissa said, and shook her head with a smile.

They picked a spot surrounded by trees and glossy wildflowers of all colors. Lissa spread out the gingham blue cloth, while Maribelle brought out the glassware. She set them with care, and Lissa hummed to herself as she pulled out the sandwiches.

"This really is very nice, we haven't had a day out in weeks," Lissa said.

Lissa broke off in a scream as the plate shattered. A large boot had stamped down on their tablecloth, and from the trees came the rest of the brigand. He wore a dirty, ripped brown tunic with even dirtier hair, as if he hadn't bathed in decades. His boots were worn and thin, but he trod on the glass like it was nothing anyways, either too strong or too stupid to notice.

Maribelle gasped in horror. "That was my third best set of plates!"

"Oops," the brigand said, a big smirk over his scarred face.

Maribelle rose up and took out her parasol. She stepped in front of Lissa, and stared him down without flinching, even as he towered over her. "This will not stand, you vile—"

"Ooh, a _tough one_—"

He never got to finish the sentence as she took her parasol and hit him right across the cheek not once, but twice.

"Leave! Leave this instant you mangy..._beast!_"

His ugly face got even uglier as he frowned. "I ain't leavin', not when I got a prize like this."

Out from her silken travel bag, Maribelle extracted a large, specially made axe. She never simply suffered with mere iron axes, no this one had an ornate frame of twisting filigree flowers all about the handle.

"If you do not leave, then I'll be forced to _make _ you leave," she said.

The brigand chuckled. "Be careful, you might hurt yourself, 'lil girlie!"

Out from the shadows came more of his repulsive gang, leering and lumbering out. Maribelle's lip curled, but she didn't back down an inch.

"I won't let you hurt Lissa," Maribelle said. There was a newfound fire in her voice, beyond mere indignation. Glass crunched under her feet as she hoisted up her axe.

They hadn't packed much, no cure staves and no other weapons, but this would have to do.

"Maribelle, I've got your back," Lissa said. She pulled out her tome, and flipped it open as Maribelle brandished her axe. She charged headlong at the brigand, arcing her ax and letting out a battle cry.

The first touch of flames burned out. Lissa laughed nervously. "I'm still getting used to this magic thing," she said. "Ahem, _BURN!_"

The second burst of flames didn't miss. Fire spread out, catching the leader, and his tunic on fire.  
He let out a shriek and began waving his arms wildly in an attempt to get the flames out. He dropped to the ground, and beat at his clothes until he was ashen, dirty, burned, and yet still very alive.

"Get them wenches," the lead brigand said. The brigands came in, blocking the path back to the fort until only the cliff was at their back.

Maribelle swiped with her axe, catching another and another as the brigands closed around them. She couldn't miss every blow, even for brigands as clumsy and unkempt as these. Her clothes ripped, marred, her skin cut, she lifted her chin in defiance.

"You'll never get her, you hear? _Never_," she said.

She let out a battle cry and ran in for a final blow, leaving thick, deep gashes over the chests and arms of the brigands, heedless to the bruises and blows she received. There was a fire in her eyes, like a bloodthirsty berserker as she cut down one after another.

Behind her, Lissa struggled with her book, unwilling to burn Maribelle, and only striking out when any came past Maribelle's charge.

At the last strike, Maribelle's axe broke into pieces, the handle falling clean away. Maribelle pulled out her bag, but she'd packed no other weapons.

But there were still more, reinforcements coming from the thicket. Maribelle gasped, blood-covered and worn ragged.

"It's no use. There's too many of them, darling. We'll never make it out without being hurt."

"This tome is about to fall apart," Lissa said.

"Then there's only one choice: we run."

Lissa nodded, and Maribelle took her hand as they set off. Maribelle limped, her leg injured and bleeding as they rushed towards the cliff.

Lissa looked from side to side. Even more of them had joined, and the cliff was very steep.

"It's no use, we're trapped!"

"No, dear. We just need to think wider."

Maribelle shook open her parasol.

"On a count of three, I want you to use that last blast. All right? One, two..."

At three they jumped, the words of a spell just finished as the flames rose up behind them, catching the last of the brigands in smoke and ash and fire. They fell fast, clinging to each other falling towards green trees and certain doom. The blue vast scene before them of verdant forests rolling out for miles sailed by, blurring to a thick green sea of their certain demise. A sudden updrift opened the umbrella just enough to slow as they drifted down. Her hands ached, but she dared not let go.

"Don't worry, we'll make it through this. Though we may need a mountain of cure staves, we'll do it."

The green canopy of trees was coming ever closer, and she could only pray there wasn't more brigands below, for they were far too injured and tired to take them, and there were none to cover their retreat. She clung tighter to Lissa, her determination unwavering.

The branches and leaves were far rougher than they looked from below. With more scrapes, they plummeted down, until her umbrella was caught between the crook of the tree.

"Darling, darling are you okay? Speak to me," Maribelle said.

"I can't hold on much longer—"

"It's a short fall. We'll be okay. Let's fall together," she said.

Lissa nodded, her pigtails bobbing.

Maribelle took a long breath and let go of her prized parasol, which was now little more than rags and handle. But it had served her well. She clung to Lissa as they fell, a short while which seemed much longer.

"Are you all right?" Maribelle said.

Lissa rubbed at the scrape on her cheek. She was covered in leaves, scrapes and soot. And she looked a whole lot better than Maribelle.

"I'm sorry about everything. You lost your parasol and your third best plates, and your clothes, they're all ruined. I know how much they meant to you—"

"It doesn't matter, Lissa. Clothes, weapons, even my parasol can all be replaced. But you, you could never be replaced."

"I'm okay because you never let them get anywhere near me," Lissa said. She shifted, and blushed deeply. "You were really amazing out there. Like a true hero, you beat them all back."

"Of course," Maribelle said primly. "Any beast who dares threaten you deserves the worst judgment."

Lissa got up and brushed herself off. "Thank you for being there, Maribelle. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Maribelle rose, and wrapped her arms about

"And _I _ don't know what I'd do without you, Lissa, my darling."

She leaned into Lissa, dirty and unkempt and _alive. _ She smiled through the pain. Lissa's face was still flushed.

"Come on, let's go get cleaned up," Maribelle said.

"Hey...Maribelle, will you hold my hand while we go?" Lissa said.

"Of course, darling," Maribelle said.

Maribelle took her hand as they limped out towards home together.


End file.
